Apparatus for making hand-sewn shoes



July 4, 1967 L. A. LEVENSON 3,328,817 APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAND-SEWN SHOES Original Filed Jan. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J] fa INVENTOR- jeamra fl.leaemrom iwm w y 4, 196-7 L. A. LEVENSON 3,

APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAND-SEWN SHOES Original Filed Jan. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,328,817 APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAND-SEWN SHOES Leonard A. Levenson, 17 Gale Ave., Haverhill, Mass. 01830 Original application Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. N0. 340,235, now Patent No. 3,259,931, dated July 12, 1966. Divided and this application Mar. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 532,301 8 Claims. (Cl. 12-124) This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear, in particular to hand-sewn shoes, for example shoes of the moccasin type, and more especially to novel apparatus for use in the hand-sewing of such a shoe, the present application being a division of application Ser. No. 340,- 235, for Method of and Apparatus for Making Hand-Sewn Shoes, filed by Leonard A. Levenson, Ian. 27, 1964, upon which United States Patent No. 3,259,931 issued on July 12, 1966.

In accordance with the customary procedure of making hand-sewn moccasin shoes, the vamp and insole (hereinafter referred to as the upper) is first made customarily from a single piece of upper leather. A plug, designed to form the top of the forepart and toe portion of the moccasin, is prepared and theplug and upper are then assembled on a wooden last of selected style and size and temporarily attached to the last by tacks, and, with the last mounted upon a fixed, rigid support or jack, the worker, provided with a thread having a needle at each end, by means of an awl, punches a hole in the upper and another in the plug at the point at which the seam is to start, and draws the thread through the holes which he has punched. He then punches another hole in the plug and another in the upper at the proper distance (stitch length) from the first holes, and passes the needles in opposite directions through these latter holes to form a stitch. He then proceeds in this manner to make holes and draw stitches (while attempting to make the stitches of uniform length) until he reaches the terminal point of the seam at the opposite side of the shoe. However, at the starting pointand at the stopping point, stitches of a special type may be made to provide a pleasing finish or to prevent ravelling. It will be noted that this operation is carried out with the upper and plug mounted on a last corresponding to the style and size of the desired shoe and that it is expected that the operator will use suflicient force, in drawing successive stitches, to strain the upper snugly about the last, this being the only lasting operation performed, so that the shaping of the upper depends upon the skill and strength of the operator.

This operation is slow because the operator must punch the holes with the awl; it is laborious for the pulling of the thread tight enough to conform the upper to the last requires strength; and it is difiicult because the upper, at least during the latter part of the operation, has been snugly drawn close to the last so that it is troublesome to punch the holes and to pass the needles through the holes. Furthermore, it requires a great deal of skill to maintain uniformity of stitch length so as to provide a seam of pleasing appearance. The fixed support or jack commonly employed for holding the last comples the operator to work at a disadvantage during some portions of the operation because the seam follows a generally U-shaped course. Thus, as the seam progresses around the shoe, the direction of pull in tightening the stitches almost constantly varies.

Because of the skill required in performing this operation, it is a long slow job to train an operator to do the work well and thus the manufacture of moccasins, according to this method, is expensive.

A proposed modified procedure, when hand-sewing the shoe on the last, and as a preliminary to the actual stitch formation, the upper and plug are initially provided with all of the necessary perforations, usually by means of a suitable punching die or dies. In this Way it is possible mechanically to arrange the perforations regularly and at a uniform distance from the-edge of the material and since in this instance the operator is not obliged to use an awl, the operation of uniting the upper and plug is facilitated, but the sewing operation still involves the pulling of the stitches tightly enough to perform what amounts to a lasting operation.

A third method (but which does not produce a true hand-sewn seam) differs from either of the two procedures just above described in that a single needle is used and the stitches are overedge stitches so that the thread overlaps the joined edges of the upper and plug where the material of the upper and plug are disposed in face-toface relation. This operation is easier and cheaper to perform, especially with pre-perforated upper and plug, than the other two operations described, but the seam so formed is easily distinguishable from the characteristic handsewn moccasin seam, and shoes so made cannot compete for the better class trade with the true hand-sewn moccasin. Moreover, since the threads of such an overedge seam are exposed to wear, shoes so made are prone to ravel and gap.

So far as is known, all previous methods of making true hand-sewn shoes, as they are distinguished in the trade, have depended upon the drawing of the stitches so tightly as to conform the upper to the last, that is to say, to perform the lasting operation.

The object of the invention is to provide apparatus for use in the sewing of moccasin shoes 'by hand such as greatly to facilitate the operation; to reduce the skilland care requisite on the part of the operator as compared with prior practice; and which results in the production of a moccasin shoe of the highest quality in so far as the character of the hand-sewn seam is concerned. The apparatus thus provided is particularly devised for the practice of the method wherein the upper and plug are sewn together off of the last, as claimed in my Patent No. 3,259,931.

In the attainment of the objects of the invention, the upper and plug are sewn together off of the last, that is, without attempt to conform the upper to an actual last during the sewing of the seam, and thereafter imparting shape to the assembly by force lasting.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a moccasin shoe of conventional type as it appears after the completion of the hand-sewn seam, by means of which the upper is secured to the forepart plug and after attachment of an outsole and heel;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, to larger scale than FIG. 1, showing the forward portion of the combined insole and upper as having been provided with stitchreceiving perforations at its margin and having been closed at the heel;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a forepart plug of generally conventional shape as it'appears after having been provided with marginal perforations in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 44 of FIG. 3, but to larger scale, showing the skived edge of the plug with the one of the stitch-receiving perforations;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the upper and plug temporarily held in assembled relation by releasable clamps according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a jack such as may be employed for supporting the upper and plug in assembled relation during the sewing operation;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view, to larger scale, of the base portion of the jack, the arm which carries the form on which the shoe is sewn being broken away;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the jack having an assempled upper and plug mounted upon the form which constitutes a part of the jack;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view, to larger scale, partly in perspective, showing an assembled upper and plug mounted upon the form carried by the jack and positioned in readiness for the sewing of the first stitch and showing removable clamping elements arranged to hold the plug and upper in proper relative position;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, but showing the jack as having been turned to facilitate the formation of stitches near the toe end of the shoe;

FIG. 11 is a view generally similar to FIGS. 9 and 10, but showing the jack as having been turned still further, to facilitate the formation of stitches at the opposite side of the shoe;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary section, to larger scale than FIG. 10, and approximately at the position of the line 12-12 of FIG. 10, showing one of the clamps holding the edges of the upper and plug together, the upper and plug being assembled on the form;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation showing the upper and plug as having been united by the sewed seam and showing the procedure whereby the lasted shape is imparted to the shoe; and

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrative of a supporting block or form of variable width.

Referring to the drawings and, in particular to FIG. 1, the character M indicates a moccasin shoe of a customary type comprising the upper or vamp 30 and the socalled plug 31, the plug being united to the upper by the seam 32. The shoe which is shown, by way of example, diifers from a true moccasin in having an outer sole 33 and a heel 34, but it will be understood that, in accordance with the present invention, a true moccasin may be made in which the only sole is integral with the upper. As shown in FIG. 1, the shoe has an external backstay 36 and is provided rearwardly of the plug 31 with a finish head 38 at its upper edge.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper consists of a unitary piece of mate-rial, commonly a soft upper leather, which is cut to form a blank of a proper shape to make a shoe of the desired size and style. The portion 30a of this blank forms the inner sole, the blank being so manipulated as to bring two rectilinear edges together at the center of the insole area, these edges being united by a seam 35, all in customary manner. The rear end portion of the blank has its edges closed together and united by a vertical seam (not shown). In the shoe as here illustrated, this seam is concealed by an external ba-ckstay 36 which is stitched to the upper material at opposite sides of the end closure seam. The operations, thus described, result in the formation of the heel end portion of the shoe where, at opposite sides of the backstay, the material of the upper extends upwardly to form the quarter portions of the upper as shown at 30c and 30d.

At any desired point in the operation, but usually before the formation of the seam 35, the marginal edge of the upper is provided with spaced perforations 37 and is skived on its flesh side to provide a beveled edge.

The plug 31 (FIG. 3) may be of the same material or of a material different from that of the upper 39 and is a suitable shape and size to form the top of the forepart portion of the shoe. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper 30 may have distinct shoulders or corners at opposite sides as shown at 39 and the plug is of such dimensions and shape that its widest portion, when assembled with the upper, will extend from one of these corners 39 to the other and preferably with a portion 40 of the plug shaped to extend rearwardly to form a tongue, such as shown in FIG. 1, or, if the shoe is to have a throat opening, then the part 40 comprise -a plurality of independent parts united by stitches. For example, it may comprise a transversely extending portion of the kind referred to in the trade as the saddle, whose opposite end portions are lapped down into contact with and stitched to the upper.

The perforations in the upper and in the plug are,

respectively, desirably formed by a punching operation.-

For this purpose, separate dies are provide, one for the upper and the other for the plug, each having a plurality of punches (preferably tubular, which may be circular or of any other desired transverse section), by means of which all of the perforations in the respective part may be formed simultaneously. The proper spacing of the perforations is first determined with respect to the plug. For example, an average spacing of approximately 1 of an inch from center-tocenter of adjacent punches produces acceptable results. However, it may be preferable to space the perforations near the wider end of the plug slightly more than of an inch apart to avoid unduly weakening the material at this point at which the greatest stress is encountered during use. On the other hand, at the toe end of the plug, where the radius of curvature is small, the spacing may be slightly less than 7 of an inch in order to insure a smooth seam at this point. The centers of the perforations may, for example, be spaced approximately /8 of an inch from the extreme edge of the plug.

The spacing of the punches in the die for forming the performations in the edge of the vamp or upper is so calculated, with reference to the previously determined spacing of the punches in the die for perforating the plug, that when the plug and upper are assembled, corresponding perforations will be substantially in registry. The centers of' the perforations in the upper may, for example, be spaced approximately A3 of an inch from the extreme outer edge of the upper in the same way as in the plug. To provide extra strength at the ends of the seams, it is common to use special stitch formations at these points but since this constitutes no part of the present invention, such special stitch formations need not be described herein nor illustrated.

Having provided the upper as shown in FIG. 2 and the plug as shown in FIG. 3, these parts are assembled as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 5, and are temporarily united, in accordance with the present invention, by suitable clamps K. Such a clamp K is illustrated in FIG. 12 as consisting of a length of resilient material bent, as shown at 58 to provide two normally divergent arms 59a and 5% respectively, the first-named arm terminating in a horizontal eye 60 while the other arm terminates in a hook-shaped part 61 which may be caused to enter the eye 60 by first pressing the arms 59a and 59b toward each other and then permitting them to resume their normal position in which the part 61 passes through the eye.

By the use of clamps of this type or equivalent means, the plug may be held, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in proper assembled relation to the upper so that, when thus united, the assembly or embryo moccasin may be handled as a unit.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a jack I (FIG. 6) for supporting the assembled plug and upper during the sewing operation. This jack comprises a base portion 44 (FIG. 7) designed to rest upon a table T (FIG. 8) or other suitable stationary support and which is immova-biy attached to the table in any convenient way, for example, by means of a screw clamp, or alternatively by bolts passing through holes 46 in lugs 45 integral with the base. The base is hollow and internally shaped to provide a socket for the reception of a two-part spherical shell 48 whose parts are held in assembled relation by a device 48!). At their meeting faces, the parts of the shell are cut away to provide a slot whose parallel edges are indicated at 47a and 47b repectively. Within this shell there is a ball B (FIG. 7) which is split diametrically, as indicated at A (FIG. 7) in a plane parallel to the opposite edges of the slot and midway between said edges. The opposed faces of the parts of the ball are recessed so as collectively to provide a radial bore for the reception of one end of a rigid rod 49. A screw-threaded clamping bolt 50 has threaded engagement with a threaded bore in the wall of the shell 48 with its inner end normally seated in a radial socket in the peripheral surface of one of the halves of the ball B, the axis of the clamping bolt being perpendicular to the plane of the split 47a in the ball. A hand wheel 51 forms the head of the bolt 50. By tightening the bolt the ball may be held stationary within the shell 48 while the shell is so expanded that it cannot turn in the base 44. By loosening the bolt the shell becomes free to be oriented about the vertical axis of the base 44, and the ball is so freed that the rod 49, together with the ball, may be rocked about a horizontal axis.

The rod 49 is provided at its free end with a block or form F constituting a support for the assembled upper and plug while the seam 32 is being formed. This block or supporting form F is not a last, such as is customarily used in lasting shoes, and is not designed to give shape to the shoe which is sewn thereon. As illustrated, it has an upper surface 52 which forms a suitable support on which the plug may rest and its free toe end portion 53 is tapered and smoothly rounded to enter within the toe end of the upper, but the block or form F differs from a conventional last in that it is symmetrical with respect to a front-to-rear vertical plane and may be used regardless of whether the shoe being made is a right or left shoe. It will be observed, by reference, for example, to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, that the axis of the rod 49 is substantially aligned with the front-to-rear axis of the form. Furthermore, the size of this form is so selected that the assembled upper and plug, when mounted thereon, may be shifted relatively to the form if desired. This freedom of the assembled upper and plug relatively to the block or form is indicated, for example, in FIG. 12.

A sleeve member 54 is mounted to slide longitudinally of the rod 49 but is provided with a thumb screw 55 by means of which it may be fixed in adjusted position. This sleeve carries a downwardly directed arm 56 which is designed to fit within the heel end of the upper, as shown in FIG. 8, and to retain the assembled upper and plug on the form F during the sewing operation.

While the block or form F has here been shown as of unitary construction, for example of a single mass of hard material, it is contemplated that, to avoid the necessity for changing forms to accommodate shoes of widely different sizes, this form may be made of two parts, that is to say, a right and a left part, united, for example, by a toggle linkage such as customarily employed in shoe treeing lasts or devices used for stretching footwear, so that the effective size of the form may be varied at will. Merely by way of example, such a form is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 14, wherein the form is shown as comprising the right and left halves F and F united by toggle linkages 60 and 61. A set screw S limits the approach of the parts F and F for adjustment of the Width of the form.

In the operation of sewing the plug and upper together, in accordance with the present invention, the upper and plug are first mulled or put in temper, as is customary in the manufacture of moccasin shoes, and then the plug and upper are assembled, as shown in FIG. 5, and tern porarily united by means of the clamps K, the part 61 of a clamp being passed through corresponding perforations in the plug and upper and then through the eye 60, thus holding the plug and upper properly assembled. The num- V ber of clamps K employed may be varied, as desired, by the operator. Before mounting the upper on the form, the part 54 of the jack is moved forwardly along the rod 49. The assembled upper and plug are then pulled over the form and the part 54, and the latter is pulled back and clamped to the rod thereby to retain the assembled upper and plug on the form.

The sewing is performed (FIGS. 9, 10 and 11) by the use of two needles N N through whose eyes a single thread T is passed, and the actual sewing of the seam 32 is now carriedout in the customary manner. However, in accordance with the present invention, the supporting jack may first be arranged, as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 9. Before starting the seam the plug is so adjusted that registering perforations in the plug and upper are so disposed that the thread may be pulled in a substantially horizontal direction in forming a stitch, this being the most convenient position of the form for the operator to apply pulling stress in opposite directions to the thread. As the seam advances toward the toe end of the shoe, the supporting jack may be so manipulated as to bring the shoe into the position shown in FIG. 10* for example, and the clamp K, which initially was located at that side of the shoe which is being operated upon, may now be removed so as to permit the seam to advance uninterruptedly toward the toe. After the seam has passed the toe end of the upper, the shoe may, for example, be turned to the position shown in FIG. 11, further clamps being removed as the operation progresses, until the seam reaches the terminal point at which, as above suggested, special forms of stitch may be employed to prevent ravelling, all of which is customary in the art.

Because of the universal support for the form F, the operator may shift the form from time-to-time, so that regardless of the point at which a stitch is being drawn, the direction of the force applied for drawing the stitch will be the most convenient for him. Moreover, if he desires to perform the operation while standing, he may swing the rod 49 upwardly, as permitted by the universal support, and clamp it at any upwardly directed angle which he may find facilitates the operation.

When the seam has been completed, the part 54 is loosened and moved forwardly so that the shoe may readily be removed from the block or form F. The moccasin, at this stage, is not properly shaped, for it has not been subjected to any lasting operation, it being noted again that the block or form F is not a last; does not have an external shape such as to impart its shape to the moccasin; and in sewing the moccasin upon this form, the operator is not expected to exert any such stress in drawing the stitches as is customarily required when the sewing of the moccasin is depended upon to conform the upper and plug to the external surface of a last.

The embryo moccasin which has thus been sewn and removed from the form is now wetted until thoroughly saturated and then, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 13, a last L of the size and style of the moccasin which is to be made is forced down into the Wet embryo moccasin, making certain that it enters the upper properly and squarely so that, as the last is forced into the upper, the latter is strained to take the form of the exterior of the last. Thus, the moccasin is sewn off of the last :and then force-lasted and when allowed to dry upon the last, assumes the desired shape and size. The forcing of the last into the moist embryo moccasin will draw the stitches tight and, because the perforations provided in the plug and upper were accurately spaced before sewing began, there is formed a very uniform and attractive seam, even though the stitches, as drawn, were not pulled as tightly as is usual in following the customary prior practice.

While a desirable apparatus has been described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any device for use in the hand-sewing of a shoe off of the last and of the use of any equivalent means for supporting a shoe, while being sewed, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for use in the hand sewing of a shoe, said apparatus comprising a supporting form of a size and shape such as to receive an embryo shoe comprising parts temporarily united by removable fasteners, a support for the form comprising a rigid elongate stem extending rearwardly from the form, the axis of said stem being substantially aligned with the front-to-rear axis of the form, and, in combination therewith, means for so adjustably supporting said stem that it may be moved horizontally or vertically or rotated about its own axis.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the form is of a symmetrical contour and useful in making either a right or left shoe and of a size such as to fit loosely within the embryo shoe, and means for holding the assembled upper and plug on the form during the sewing of the seam.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the form comprises a plurality of independent members, and toggle means for so uniting them that the effective width of the form may be varied, and means for adjusting the width.

4. Apparatus for use in the hand-sewing of a moccasin shoe by the use of a thread having a needle at each end which comprises a form upon which the assembled and temporarily united upper and plug may be loosely mounted, and, in combination therewith, means for so adjustably supporting the form that the form may be swung about a vertical axis or about a horizontal axis or rotated about the longitudinal axis of the form, where by the shoe parts may be held in such selected positions as to facilitate the formation of each successive stitch.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the stem is cylindrical and a sleeve member is mounted to slide longitudinally of the stem, means for clamping the sleeve in adjusted position, and an arm fixed to the sleeve designed to fit within the heel end of an embryo shoe mounted on the form thereby to hold the embryo shoe on the form during the sewing of the seam.

6. Apparatus for use in the hand-sewing of a moccasintype shoe, said apparatus comprising a form about which the embryo shoe may be drawn preparatory to sewing,

the form having an elongate stern consisting of a rigid rod having one end fixed to the form, the axis of said stern being substantially aligned with the front-to-rear axis of the form, and means for supporting the rod comprising a base including clamping means for receiving the other end portion of the rod, the clamping means being of a kind such that the rod may be rotated about its own frontto-rear axis, or swung vertically, and through an angle of at least horizontally.

7. Apparatus for use in the hand sewing of a shoe, said apparatus comprising a supporting form of a size and shape such as to receive an embryo shoe comprising a plug and vamp temporarily united by removable fasteners, the form having a rigid elongate stern projecting from its rear end, means for so adjustably supporting said stem that it may be moved horizontally or vertically or rotated about its own axis, and, in combination therewith, a removable fastener for uniting the plug and vamp during the sewing of the seam, said fastener consisting of a length of resilient material so shaped as to provide two normally divergent arms, one arm terminating in a socket element while the other terminates in a hook-shaped part which is normally located within said socket element, and wherein, by pressure, the arms may be caused to approach thereby withdrawing the hook from the socket element so that the hook may be passed through the plug and vamp and then upon release of the arms resumes its original position within the socket element thereby uniting the plug and vamp.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein for adjusting the width of the form, a set-screw having threaded engagement with one member of the form may be advanced toward the other member thereby to adjust the width of the form.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 679,947 8/1901 Collins 12l16.8

754,047 3/1904 Burt et a1 121l6.8 1,052,421 2/1913 Mead 12123 1,442,459 1/ 1923 Wilson 12123 1,922,750 8/ 1933 Salcaian 12123 2,794,995 6/ 1957 Sherbrook 12l42 2,798,236 7/1957 Jafie 1253.7

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE HAND SEWING OF A SHOE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUPPORTING FORM OF A SIZE AND SHAPE SUCH AS TO RECEIVE AN EMBRYO SHOE COMPRISING PARTS TEMPORARILY UNITED BY REMOVABLE FASTENERS, A SUPPORT FOR THE FORM COMPRISING A RIGID ELONGATE STEM EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM THE FORM, THE AXIS OF SAID STEM BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE FRONT-TO-REAR AXIS OF THE FORM, AND, IN COMBINATION THEREWITH, MEANS FOR SO ADJUSTABLY SUPPORTING SAID STEM THAT IT MAY BE MOVED HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY OR ROTATED ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS. 